Archive for October, 2011

Just when it looked like this upstart team was coming back down to earth after a beleaguering defeat last week at the hands of the Cincinnati Bengals, they do this. The Buffalo Bills are 4-1 after defeating the Philadelphia Eagles 31-24 on Sunday. Going into the season I had the Bills pegged at 2-3 at this point of the season, with victories against the Chiefs and the Bengals. I guess I was wrong. Instead the Bills now boast their best record since 2008 and have gotten to this point in grand fashion.

Normally a victory over a 1-3 team would be nothing to write home about but there’s no doubt that the Bills victory against the NFL’s self-proclaimed “dream team” was as important as any win this season. The Eagles are loaded with offensive talent, with as many playmakers on the offensive side of the ball as any team in the league. On defense, they lead the league in sacks and rarely use anything more than a four-man rush to get to the quarterback. Their secondary features three elite corners including (with the exception of Revis) arguably the best in the league. More importantly, Philly came into Orchard Park on Sunday riding a three game losing streak, in the basement of the normally stout NFC East, with their season on the line. Taking these factors into account, the Bills of the recent years past would’ve most likely crumbled and ended the day with a 3-2 record. The 2011 Bills are the Bills of years past however.

Coming off what was thought to be a sure victory that ended in defeat against what seemed to be a lowly Bengals team with a rookie quarterback and few offensive weapons, Buffalo could’ve allowed that loss to dictate the rest of their season. Although not likely a common sentiment, one could argue that Sunday was a make or break game not only for Vick’s Eagles but for the Bills as well. A victory against a team with that caliber of talent with everything to lose would right the ship and certainly put the Bills back on track towards playoff contention. A loss however, would further curtail the progress this 2011 squad has made with comeback wins against the Patriots and Raiders, dropping them to 3-2 and possibly in a tie with the Jets for second place in the AFC East. When the dust settled, the Bills remained unbeaten at home and the Eagles walked away with yet another disheartening defeat.